Nonskid chain attachment for trucks



, C. F. BALL Y NONSKID CHAIN ATTACHMENT FOR TRUCKS June 5, 1928.

2 sheets-sheet Filed Oct. 25. 1922 JilVEllIbln CHARLES Eng/ML. I a 27m $4 I AWE- June 5, 1928.

c. F. BALL NONSKID CHAIN ATTACHMENT FOR TRUCKS Filed Oct. 25. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 tllll l llllllllllmlili CHARLES F'- BALL. J

Z /mad.

FILED,-

Patented June 5, 1928.

onARLEs r. .nntnfor MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

noNsKrn CHAIR ATTACHMENT r'on 'rnuoks.

nppli oation filcd October 25, 1922. Serial N o. 59 795.'

This inventioni'elates to endless tread attaohments tor motor vehicles and'the like.

ln the application otan endless tread belt or chain track to the drive wheels of a mo-' tor vehicle provision must be made "for llljOlllltlng zUl idler'wheel in frontiof the drive wheel and maintaining the tensionon the trackdin a proper manner. The idler wheel should beso mounted upon the frame of the vehicle that it may be movedout or the way when not inuse. This requires the use of a swinging hanger for the idler Wheel and,'in order to support thesaid-hanger t0 tension the track, a radius rod'i's arranged between the aXle of the drive wheel and the axle of the idler wheel. However, it is not; possible in any of the standard types of rear 7 site end of the axlelinay be stayed a hanger bar 19'Which extends up to' the inner -7,5,

axles to; place a radius'rod inside the drive wheel, due to the presence of brake bands, etc. If provision could be made forusing a single radius rod placed outside the wheel,"

then the attachmentis applicable to anypof the-standard types'of rear axles without-altering the latter.

In prior devices with which I am'fainiliar wherein it has beenproposed to use radius rodsof this character, it is not possible to use asingle outside radius rod owing to the fact that the hanger which suspendsthe idler wheel is so arranged as'to require support at both sides of the'idler wheel.

The present invention has for its object to provide a mounting of the type mentioned using a single radius rod which may be placed outside the wheel so as to be applicable to any of the standardtypesof axles without altering the "latter. .A radius lro d so positioned is readily accessible and means canbe provided for-quickly and easily detaching it from the-wheel hub, so thatthe idler wheel may be swung out of the vway two parts one compr'ising a cylinder 32 carrying a helical spring 33'and the other part havingahead 34'to fit slidably in the cylin der and [work against the spring." This I head preferably has screw-threaded conwhen the tread attachment is notin use.

In. the accompanying. drawings, Fig. 1

shows a side elevation of a rear'end famotor t-ruck fitted With'an attachment embodying my invention. I r Fig. 2 shows'a front elevation, partly in section, of the idler wheel and its mounting. Fig. 8 shows a sectional view on the line A-A of Fig. 1 v

Fig. 4 shows a side elevation of thedevice of Fig. 1 in folded or inoperativeposition.

Fig. 5 shows a sectional view of a modified forin'of connection between the radius rod and wheel hub.

' or fyoke 25"connected to a rotatable" collar for the. regular huh cap by (ishows a front elevation of modi-j' lied form 'ofswinging hanger.

'Referring in detail to the accompan ing drawings, 1 show vehicle frame 10, rive wheel 11 and axle 12; allot conventional design. Extending across the vehicle frame and projecting at each side thereof is a supporting member 13, preferably. in the form a tubular shaft. On each end of this'su'p' porting member thereis pivotally mounted a a hanger-14. Thishanger in its preferred form comprises a pivot member 15 in the torinof an elongated sleeve at, the outer-end I of which is a hanger bar 16 of a size and shape to resist torsionalstrain's The hanger bar at its lower end has a bearing box 17 into whichisyfitted an axle 18. The a 'a end of the sleeve 15. This bar 19, however, may be omitted entirely, if desired. v i

' Aniidler Wheel 20 is"ournal'ed on the axle screws 24. The radius rod extends back to.

the rear axle'andlhas onits rejar'end ablock 26by means-of spring-pressed"pins 27 .said collar surrounding vthe hub of-- the drive wheel. This collar 26 is preferably carried byball bearings 28 'upon a ring 29 which fitsv over-and is carried by thelhuhof. the drive wheel. In'F ig; 3' 'thering'29 is fitted directlyon to the hub apeo, butin Fig. 5 the said ring 29 ismadeto serve asa substitute p I I providing a screw threaded flange 31' thereon.

The radius rod is preferably formed V An endless tread belt or chain track 36 of any desired construction is arranged upon the drive wheel 11 and idler Wheel 20. In

the operation of the attachment the hanger shown and described herein will, despite the fact that only a single radius rodis eml10 operation of the vehicle.

ployed, afiordsuflicient strength to resist the torsional strains incident to the operation of the track or tread. The spring connection in the radius rod will permit the idler Wheel to move withrelation to the drive wheel, so as to relieve the track of excessive strains in case an obstruction falls between one of the wheels and the track.

, The radius rod being at the outside of the wheel is readily accessible and it can be quickly detached from the wheel hub by removingv the inner stationary ring 29 or by disconnecting the pins 27 from the rotating collar 26. l'Vhen so disconnected the track maybe removed and the idler swung up to thevposition shown in Fig. 4-, where it Wlll not ailord anyobstruction to the normal The radius rod maybe swung into parallel relation with the vehicle frame by reason of the rotating collar 22- which connects it to the axle of the 'idler wheel, or, if desired, the radius rod may be entirely disconnected from the said idler wheel axle.

Owing to the size and shape of the hanger bar 16 I have found that-a. single radius rod placed at the outside will be sutlL cient to support the idler wheel against the pull and strains imposed thereon by the track.

A modification of the hanger is shown in Fig. 6 wherein a U-shaped'member 37 is provided, one end of which fits rotatably within the tubular cross shaft 13, being held therein by a locking ringSS and the other end of said U-shaped member 37 forming the axle for the'idler wheel.

Various changes in'the construction and arrangement of the several parts herein shown-and described, may be employed without departing from the spiritof my invention asdisclo'sed in the appended claims.

The radius rod has a lateral pivotal motion where the yoke connects. is ,desirable'in order to accommodate the side sway] between the ground wheel and idler wheel caused by the action of the Vehicle V V radius rod connected to said collar and springs.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent I e 1 An endless tread attachment for the drive wheel ofa motor vehicle comprising an idler wheel and a mounting therefor in-h Such action idler wheel, and a radius rod rotatably connected to the axle of the idler wheel and rotatably and detaehably connected to the outer end of the hub of the drive wheel,

a v said hanger lneluding an elongated pivotvehicle frame and carrying an axle for the idler wheel, and'a radius rod rotatably connected'to the axle of theidler wheel and rotatably and detachably connected to the outer end of the hub of the drive wheel, said radius rod having telescoping parts with aspring interposed between said parts to permit the idler wheel to move relatively to the drive wheel.

An endless tread attachment for the drive wheel of a'motorvehicle comprising an idler wheel and a mounting theretorincluding ahanger pivotally connectedto the vehicle "frame and carrying an axle for the idler wheel, a radius rod'rotatahly connected to the axle of the idlerjwheel and rotatably and detachably connected to the outer end 01' thehub 01 the drive wheel, a connection between. the radius rod and drive wheel hub comprising'an inner ring to fit detaehably on the hub and a collar rotatably mounted on the inner ring.

l. Tnan endless tread attachment for: the drive wheel of a motor vehicle,the combina-" tion of a swinging hanger-having apivot member for connection with the vehicle frame, a bar extending at right angles therefrom, an axle connected to the opposite end the bar and parallel with the said pivot member, an idler wheel journaled on said axle, a collar rotatably mounted on the aXle between the idler wheel and hanger bar, a

' innerring detachably fittedon thehulo of the drive wheel and a collar rotatably mounted on said ring.

CHARLES BALL. 

